THE LADIES OF GAZA …

This image is deceptively simple. But do not be deceived. There is more strength in this lady than there is in many other people who live life according to every convenience. This women will endure. Indeed, she represents a people who will endure. Israel threw everything at Gaza in November 2012. I know because I was there ! And I saw this lady everywhere. She is in every camp in Gaza. She is just as the Palestinian people, completely unshaken …

The Palestinians of Gaza are impressive. They face the worst and then demand their Right of Return. They do not falter. This lady knows that if she does not see a return in her time, her children’s children will. So she is in no hurry. She knows Palestine’s claim is right. It is just a matter of time. This kind of strength only exists because a people are sure of their being on the side of right. The international community of political leaders shrugs this lady off. The Right of Return is said to be unreal. Yet there is always space for more illegal settlements. The Israelis will bomb Gaza again. But this lady will not be deterred. She will talk about where she comes from with renewed vigour. It is completely untrue that the Palestinians live in the past. They live in the future. And they know its coming just like the Israelis who live up the coast … No wonder she looks easy.

Ordinary people all around the world are starting to understand this lady. These are not people in the Think Tanks of Washington or the Palace of Westminster. They are ordinary people who worry about their jobs and how they will be able to send their children to university. It is they who know this women, and it is they who quietly push the boycott of Israeli goods. You will not see these people on marches. But you will see them avoiding Palestinian goods in shops and on supermarket shelves. Again this situation is deceptive. These actions look simple. They are about the ‘quiet’ boycott and there are far more than perhaps is appreciated and just like the women in the picture, they also know that the Palestinians will have their rights. They also know that the Palestinians will have their Right of Return. It is all a question of time and stepping things up …